Our History
Embedded Files
180+ Years of Gospel Witness
180+ Years of Gospel Witness
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church & the Cemetery
The Pleasant Grove Baptist Church was founded on October 12, 1844. At the time it was also referred to as the United Baptist Church at Pleasant Grove or the First Camden Point Baptist Church. The first church building was built on one acre on the north side of Pleasant Grove Road, purchased from John & Sally Freeman for $30.00 in 1846. Two acres across the road from the church were also purchased from Archilles Jasper for $20.00 in February 1847 for this cemetery. There are at least 179 graves here, at least 138 of which have been recovered. The first burial appears to have been in September 1845, before the cemetery was purchased, and the last burial in April 1914. The book, Gone and Forgotten: Pleasant Grove Cemetery and Church, by Lu Durham, Irma Miller and Betty R Murray, published in 1994 by the Platte County Historical Society, tells the history and genealogy of many of the pioneers buried here, as well as the history of the church.
A Civil War battle took place just south of here on July 13, 1864. Legend has it that Confederate soldiers were picnicking in the field when Union soldiers from Ft. Leavenworth attacked, killing several, then pillaging & setting fire to the town, burning over half of the houses. On November 1, 1871, at a dedication held with a parade and speeches, the citizens of Green Township raised the “Oldest Confederate Monument West of the Mississippi” and relocated six of the casualties from that battle to rest in the cemetery here.
Several groups and many individuals have donated countless hours of labor to reclaim and maintain this cemetery. We pray we can keep it from the ravages of time, for the honor of these people buried here.
Bro. Thomas is the first recorded pastor of Camden Point Baptist Church (1851-1870).
Early Days
Early Days
Details About the Early Congregation
Camden Point Baptist Church was founded on the cool fall day of October 12, 1844, in the home of Elijah Pumphery. The fourteen charter members who met together for prayer and fellowship were: Elijah, Oliver, Mary Ann, Jonas, Bird S., Lucy Jane (Pumphery); Benjamin Eliot, Bird Wilson, Lucy Wilson, Wilmuth Laswell, John C. Bywaters, and Sarah Jasper.
They would come on horseback, buggy, or by a good, strenuous walking. They met regularly, either in Elijah's home or another fellow believer's. They did not have a circuit preacher in those days, but the elders of the church (William P. Lanier, M. Cline, J.D. Wilson, J.J. Daniels, D.G. Tolle, Felix Jefferies, D.G. Brooks, Elijah Evans) and others would conduct services.
In 1844, the North Liberty Association was also established for the equipping and edification of the believers. This same association is known as the Clay-Platte Baptist Association today.
The church name was changed from First Camden Point Baptist Church to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in 1846, and they continued to meet in members' homes and occasionally in the Pope's Schoolhouse. The first building was located about half a mile north of where the present building is located.
As the church began to grow, the congregation saw a need to disciple its members in Bible Study, so the first Sabbath School was established in 1851.
Surviving the War
Surviving the War
While the little church on the hillside was preaching God's grace and holiness, it could not ignore the gathering storm clouds of war brewing over the country. Many of the community's men said good-byes to their wives and children and went off to fight in the Civil War. Times went from bad to worse. In the church minutes from February 1, 1862, it was written that, "The church believes that it is impolitic on account of the embarrassing state of our country, to engage pastoral or other ministerial labors and therefore resolves to engage no preaching for the present, but to meet at her regular times and worship as best she can."
Eventually the war passed, but it left its toll on the land, the people, and the church. In 1865, the church was in disrepair, in debt, and its membership was down. However, the members rallied together and slowly began to build themselves back up. A singing school was organized in 1871 to pay for new songbooks, and by August of 1874, membership was built up to nearly 200.
As the church began to recover from the ravages of war, the "unsettled west" began to set in, and in 1876 and 1882, the church made resolutions on saloons, dancing, drinking, and card games.
At the January meeting in 1891, it was decided to move the church to Camden Point, and a committee was appointed to secure a suitable site for the building and superintend the work. Not much was done until 1895, when another committee was appointed. The site of the present building was obtained, and they decided to move the building from the old site to the new and to remodel it. The house was torn down, moved, and rebuilt. For this reason, no meetings were held in the early part of 1895. Before the building was ready for use, the church held services in the Military Academy, whose grounds joined the new church grounds. The moving and rebuilding were completed, and it was ready for use by summer. It was dedicated on the first Sunday in July of 1895.
The church changed its name from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church to Camden Point Baptist Church in October 1931.
Page updated
Report abuse